Beet and Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Once upon a time I dreamed of constructing a veggie burger that was strong enough to withstand the grill without crumbling to pieces. Those days are over, now I commit to the stove top and focus on FLAVOR. 

24 ounces of cooked Black Beans (2 cans)
3 Medium Size Beets (or 1 gigantor)
1/4 Cup of Flax Seed
1 Egg
1 Bunch of Green Garlic
4 Carrots

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the beets. If you have a large beet, cut it into pieces to reduce cooking time. No need to peel. Cook until fork tender, about 30 minutes. Pour the beets into a colander. Run the beets under a trickle of cool water and the skins should slide off in your hand with gentle pressure.

While the beets are boiling grate the carrots into a large bowl. Add finely chopped green garlic. Rinse the black beans well so they are as dry as possible. Add them to the bowl and mash with a potato masher. You can also just put all 3 of these ingredients in a food processor and press GO.

You can flavor this paste with whatever you like. This week I used the juice of 1 lemon, savory, oregano, basil, and salt. After stirring well this is a great time to take a break, and taste! It's a great dip for a chip or veggie!

Add the flax seed and one egg, stir well.

Dice your cooked, peeled beets into small pieces and stir into the bean mixture. At this point add just a small amount of flour (any grain flour will do, or more flax seed if you prefer), to thicken the paste. You want it to be sticky.

Prepare a bowl of half flour and half bread crumbs. (You can sub in any grain or seed that will fry in high heat). Roll the veggie burgers into balls, flatten them, and dip them on both sides into the flour mixture. Then cook on medium high heat with canola (or other high heat) oil. Cook about 2 minutes per side, until browned and crispy.

I ate mine over a bed of spinach and blue cheese.

Carrot Slaw and Spinach Pesto: Spring Recipes with Juliette

Carrot Slaw is one of my favorite Spring treats, because I can mix in the sweet and spicy microgreens.

CARROT SLAW

Dressing:
3 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
3 TSBP Maple Syrup
3 TSBP Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sriracha or Hot Chili Sauce (add more or less depending on affinity to spice)
1 TBSP Sesame Seeds

Grate, food process, or julienne 2 lbs of carrots. You can sub in other root veggies, or cabbage, based on availablity. Toss in salad dressing, and let sit in fridge for 30 minutes before serving. When ready to serve, top with microgreens!

SPINACH PESTO

My favorite way to use Spinach Pesto is spread on toast, and topped with a sunny side up JSF egg. I have found a multitude of uses for it, and have spiced it up in a million different ways. I have tossed it in pasta stir-fries, marinated and baked chicken in it, used it as a sandwich spread, and snacked on carrots dipped in it. 

SPINACH PESTO

1/2 lb, or one large bag, of Spinach
1/2 of one Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/4 Walnuts
Olive Oil

Sautee on low the half onion, salt, and pepper, in enough olive oil to coat the pan. For the best pesto flavor, you will want to caramelize the onion, which will take about 30 minutes. The onions should become transluscent, and then slightly browned, but not burnt, so keep stirring!

About 5-10 minutes before the onions are done, add the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes.

Put spinach and walnuts in the food processer or blender. Add the onion and oil mixture, and pulse until the oil is distributed. The mixture should be chunky. at this point, slowly continue to add fresh olive oil until you reach the consistency that works best for you. I like to keep mine fairly chunky, because I like to spread it on toast. When I use it as a pasta sauce or a dip, I use enough oil to be able to drip the pesto off of a spoon.